Measuring method for measuring heat distribution of specific space using sthm probe, method and device for detecting beam spot of light source

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a measuring method for measuring heat distribution of a specific space using an SThM probe, and a method and device for detecting a beam spot of a light source. 
     The method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is the measuring method for measuring heat distribution of a specific space, the measuring method includes: linearly moving a SThM probe that may measure a temperature change in the specific space; and calculating heat distribution of the specific space using continuous temperature change values obtained from the SThM probe during the moving step. 
     According to the measuring method, and the method and device for detecting a beam spot of a light source, it is possible to map temperature distribution in a small space using a SThM probe and it is possible to accurately detect a beam spot using the temperature distribution.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/335,094, filed on Jun. 1, 2021, which claims the benefit of priorityto Korean Application No. 10-2020-0066191 filed on Jun. 2, 2020, in theKorean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates to a measuring method for measuring heatdistribution of a specific space using a SThM probe, and a method anddevice for detecting a beam spot of a light source.

Description of the Related Art

A Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) is a microscope that measures andshows surface characteristic of a specimen in a 3D image by moving afine probe, which is manufactured through a MEMS process, and the like,over scanning the surface of the specimen. Such an SPM may be subdividedinto an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), a Scanning Tunneling Microscope(STM), etc. in accordance with the measurement method.

An AFM measures a specimen surface by measuring inter-atom interactiveforce that is generated when a tip formed on a side of a cantilever ismoved close to the specimen surface. However, other forces may act atthe tip other than the inter-atom interactive force between the specimenand the tip end. For example, when the tip is magnetized, the magnetismof the specimen may apply force to the tip and the magneticcharacteristic of the specimen may also be measured. This is called ameasurement method that is called Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM).Further, application modes that may measure the characteristics ofvarious specimen surfaces using various kinds of tips have beendeveloped, and Electric Force Microscopy (EFM), Scanning TunnelingMicroscopy (SCM), etc. may be exemplified.

In various application modes of an AFM, the application mode thatmeasures a temperature change of a specimen surface (which is calledTCM) or measure thermal conductivity of a specimen surface (which iscalled CCM) is called Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM).

In general, a scanning thermal microscopy has been used to measure atemperature change and thermal conductivity of a specimen surface.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made in an effort to solve the problemsdescribed above and an object of the present disclosure is to provide ameasuring method for measuring heat distribution of a specific spaceusing a SThM probe, and a method and device for detecting a beam spot ofa light source.

The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the objectsdescribed above and other objects will be clearly understood by thoseskilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the objects, a method according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure is a measuring method for measuring heatdistribution of a specific space, the measuring method includes:linearly moving a SThM probe that may measure a temperature change inthe specific space; and calculating heat distribution of the specificspace using continuous temperature change values obtained from the SThMprobe during the moving step.

In order to achieve the objects, a method according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure is a method of detecting a beam spot of a lightsource, the method includes: emitting light in a first direction bymeans of the light source such that the beam spot is formed; positioninga SThM probe such that the end of a probe is positioned at a surroundingportion where the beam spot is formed while facing a directionsubstantially opposite to the first direction; measuring a temperaturechange value while moving the SThM probe in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the first direction; and detecting the beam spot fromthe measured temperature change value.

In order to achieve the objects, a device for detecting a beam spot of alight source according to an embodiment of the present disclosureincludes: an optical system including a light source and configured suchthat light from the light source forms a beam spot at a specific point;a SThM probe disposed such that the end of a probe faces a directionsubstantially opposite to a traveling direction of the light from thelight source; a moving unit configured to be able to move the SThMprobe; and a control device controlling movement of the moving unit andcalculating a temperature change on a route of the SThM probe on thebasis of information from the SThM probe.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a CCD camera isfurther included such that the shape of the beam spot may be visuallyrecognized.

According to the measuring method for measuring heat distribution of aspecific space using a SThM probe, and the method and device fordetecting a beam spot of a light source, it is possible to maptemperature distribution in a small space using a SThM probe and it ispossible to accurately detect a beam spot using the temperaturedistribution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of thepresent disclosure will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an Atomic Force Microscope(AFM) with an XY-scanner and a Z-scanner separated;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual view showing an optical system including a visiondevice from a side;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views showing an example of a moving unit that movesa SThM probe;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing X-directional heat distribution measured usinga SThM probe while changing a neutral density filter of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method of measuring heat distribution ofa specific space; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of detecting a beam spot of alight source.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods ofachieving them will be clear by referring to the exemplary embodimentsthat will be describe hereafter in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited tothe exemplary embodiments described hereafter and may be implemented invarious ways, and the exemplary embodiments are provided to complete thedescription of the present disclosure and let those skilled in the artcompletely know the scope of the present disclosure and the presentdisclosure is defined by claims.

Although terms ‘first’, ‘second’, etc. are used to describe variouscomponents, it should be noted that these components are not limited bythe terms. These terms are used only for discriminating a component fromanother component. Accordingly, it should be noted that a firstcomponent that is stated below may be a second component within thespirit of the present disclosure. Further, if it is described thatsecond coating is performed after first coating, performing coating inthe opposite order is also included in the spirit of the presentdisclosure.

When reference numerals are used herein, the same reference numerals areused, if possible, when the same components are shown even in differentdrawings.

The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are shownfor the convenience of description and the present disclosure is notnecessarily limited to the sizes and thicknesses of the showncomponents.

A method and device according to an embodiment of the present disclosuredoes not need to use an AFM or employ some components of an AFM.However, since the method and device of the present disclosure may beachieved using the components of an AFM, the configuration of an AFM isdescribed first hereafter.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an Atomic Force Microscope(AFM) with an XY scanner and a Z scanner separated.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an AFM 1000 is configured to include a head 1110,an XY-scanner 1120, an XY-stage 1130, a Z-stage 1140, a fixing frame1150, and a vision device 1160.

The head 1110 includes a Z-scanner 1111 and a probe hand 1112. TheZ-scanner 1111 moves the probe hand 1112 up and down, and a piezo stackmay be used as an actuator. The probe hand 1112 transmits operation ofthe Z-scanner 1111 to a probe 10 fixed to the end thereof.

The XY-scanner 1120 is configured to scan a measurement target 1 in anX-direction and a Y-direction in an XY-plane. The XY-stage 1130 isconfigured to move the measurement target 1 and the XY-scanner 1120 withrelatively large displacement in the X-direction and the Y-direction.

The Z-stage 1140 is configured to move the head 1110 with relative largedisplacement in a Z-direction. The fixing frame 1150 is configured tofix the XY-stage 1130 and the Z-stage 1140.

The vision device 1160 is configured to be able to enlarge and show theprobe 10 or show the measurement target 1. The vision device 1160,though briefly shown in FIG. 1 , includes a lens barrel, an objectivelens, a light supplier, and a CCD camera, and is configured to receivelight from the light supplier and changes an image enlarged by theobjective lens to be visually recognized through the CCD camera suchthat the image may be shown by a separate display device. Details willbe described with reference to FIG. 2 .

The vision device 1160 may be fixed to the fixing frame 1150. However,unlikely, the vision device 1160 may be fixed by another member withoutbeing fixed to the fixing frame 1150.

The vision device 1160 is configured to be able to move on the Z-axis,and may show the probe 110 or the surface of a sample 1. That is, thefocus of the vision device 1160 may be changed along the Z-axis.

This configuration corresponds to the configuration of a common AFM, andtechnical matters not included in the specification may be added withreference to the matters reflected to products such as commercializedNX10™ by Park Systems, Inc. that is the present applicant.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual view showing an optical system including a visiondevice from a side and FIGS. 3A and 3B are views showing an example of amoving unit that moves a SThM probe.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an optical system 2000 is configured to includethe vision device 1160 of FIG. 1 .

The vision device 1160 is configured to include a lens barrel 1161, aCCD camera 1162, an objective lens 1163, and a lighting source 1164. Theobjective lens 1163 is connected to the bottom of the lens barrel 1161and the CCD camera 1162 is connected to the top of the lens barrel 1161,so an image enlarged by the objective lens 1163 is formed in the CCDcamera 1162. The lighting source 1164, for example, supplies white lightto a side of the lens barrel 1161, thereby securing visibility of theCCD camera 1162. The vision device 1160 has the same configurationreflected to commercialized NX10™, etc. by Park Systems, Inc. that isthe applicant.

Additional components other than the vision device 1160 are required todetect a beam spot of a light source R.

First, the light source R that is the target of measurement may be anytype as long as it emits light, but a laser device that emits laserlight is exemplified as the light source R in the description of thisembodiment. In more detail, the light source R, which is a laser deviceregulated to form a beam spot, may be a He-Ne laser device having awavelength of 633 nm.

The light from the light source R travels at least in a first direction(−z direction in FIG. 2 ). The light source R may directly emit light inthe first direction, but the light source R hides the CCD camera, so itis preferable to change the ultimate traveling direction of the lightinto the first direction by arranging a plurality of mirrors M and abeam splitter BS, as shown in FIG. 2 .

It is preferable that the beam splitter BS is installed in the lensbarrel 1161 in this case. A neutral density filter ND may be disposed onthe route of the light. The neutral density filter ND may perform afunction of freely reducing the transmissive amount of light.

In FIG. 2 , the light source R, the mirrors M, and the beam splitter BSfunction as an optical system that generates light and forms a beamspot.

The SThM probe 100 is positioned at a surrounding portion where a beamspot is formed with the end of the probe 110 facing substantially in theopposite direction to the first direction. Herein, the substantiallyopposite direction to the first direction means a direction thataccurately the +Z direction in FIG. 2 and that the end of the probe 110faces a direction within 30° from the opposite direction to the firstdirection. That is, the end of the probe 110 of the SThM probe 100 hasonly to face a beam spot to be able to sense a temperature change at theend of the probe 110.

The SThM probe 100 has been commercialized, so it is also called a SThMtip, and it is a probe for an AFM that may sense a temperature change Tat the probe 110. In detail, as the SThM probe 100, a commercializedprobe configured to change in resistance that is output in accordancewith a temperature change may be used. For example, ThermaLever Probe byANASYS instrument, SThM_P by NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments, etc. may befreely used as the SThM probe 100.

The SThM probe 100 measures a temperature change of spaces while movingto the spaces. The SThM probe 100 may be moved by a moving unit.

The moving unit of the SThM probe 100 may be employed in various ways,but some of the components of the AFM 1000 may be employed, as shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the XY-scanner 1120 may be employed as the movingunit. As shown in FIG. 3B, the Z-scanner 1111 and a probe arm 1112 maybe employed as the moving unit.

When the XY-scanner 1120 is employed as the moving unit, it is possibleto measure heat distribution in the XY-plane using the SThM probe 100.When the Z-scanner 1111 and a probe arm 1112 are employed as the movingunit, it is possible to measure heat distribution in the Z-directionusing the SThM probe 100.

In order to detect the beam spot of the light source R using theconfiguration shown in FIG. 2 , it is required only to check heatdistribution in the XY-plane. Accordingly, it is preferable to employthe XY-scanner 1120 shown in FIG. 3A as the moving unit to detect thebeam spot of the light source R.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing X-directional heat distribution measured usinga SThM probe while changing a neutral density filter of FIG. 2 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , when the neutral density filter ND is not used, itmay be seen that a beam spot having heat distribution indicated bytwo-dot chain line was formed. Further, when the transmissivity of lightis decreased by increasing a filter factor of the neutral density filterND, it may also be seen that the center of the beam spot is maintainedand the temperature decreases.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4 , a temperature change T is continuouslymeasured during moving only by moving the SThM probe 100 in a space, andit is possible to obtain data about heat distribution of the space byaccumulating and adding up the temperature changes. Accordingly, it ispossible to detect the beam spot.

Receiving information from the SThM probe 100 and calculating atemperature change on the route of the SThM probe 100 are performed in acontrol device that is not shown. The control device may also perform afunction of controlling movement of the moving unit. The control devicemay be integrated with the controller of the AFM 1000 described above.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method of measuring heat distribution ofa specific space and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a method of detectinga beam spot of a light source.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a method of measuring heat distribution of aspecific space includes: linearly moving the SThM probe 100 that maymeasure a temperature change in the specific space (S110); andcalculating heat distribution of the specific space using continuoustemperature change values obtained from the SThM probe 100 while theSThM probe 100 is moved (S120).

If the specific space is a space having a length in all of theX-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, it may be possible to dividethe space into grids and set a route such that the probe 110 of the SThMprobe 100 passes all of the grids. The SThM probe 100 passes the entirespecific space and the temperature change values are continuouslyaccumulated, whereby it is possible to map the heat distribution of thespecific space.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a method of detecting a beam spot of a lightsource includes: emitting light (S210); positioning the SThM probe(S220); measuring a temperature change value (S230); and detecting abeam spot (S240). This method was described above with reference to FIG.2 , but is described in detail again.

The emitting of light (S210) is a step of forming a beam spot byemitting light in the first direction by means of the light source R.The first direction is the −z-direction in FIG. 2 .

The positioning of the SThM probe (S220) is a step of positioning theSThM probe 100 such that the end of the probe 110 of the SThM probe 100is positioned at a surrounding portion where the beam spot is formedwhile facing a direction substantially opposite to the first direction.Referring to FIG. 2 , the end of the probe 110 of the SThM probe 100faces the +z-direction.

Here, the emitting of light (S210) may be performed after thepositioning of the SThM probe (S220) is performed, and these two stepsmay be simultaneously performed.

Thereafter, temperature change value is measured while the SThM probe ismoved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction(S230). That is, the SThM probe 100 is moved in the XY-plane in FIG. 2 .For example, the SThM probe 100 may be moved along the X-axis and may bemoved along the Y-axis.

Here, the substantially perpendicular direction includes not only adirection completely perpendicular to the first direction(−z-direction), but a direction making an angle within ±10°. That is, itis the most preferable that the movement direction of the SThM probe 100is completely perpendicular to the traveling direction of the light, butthere is no problem in detection of the beam spot even if it is slightlyinclined.

Thereafter, a beam spot is detected from the measured temperature changevalue (S240). It is possible to detect a beam spot by measuringtemperature distribution, as shown in FIG. 4 .

Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure were describedabove with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in theart would understand that the present disclosure may be implemented invarious ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit ofthe prevent disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments described above areonly examples and should not be construed as being limitative in allrespects.

What is claimed is:
 1. A measuring method for measuring heatdistribution of a specific space, the measuring method comprising:moving a SThM probe that measures a temperature change in the specificspace; and calculating heat distribution of the specific space usingcontinuous temperature change values obtained from the SThM probe duringthe moving step.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing aneutral density filter.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprisingdetecting a beam spot of a light source from heat distribution of thespecific space.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividingthe specific space into grids and setting a route such that the SThMprobe passes all of the grids.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising measuring a heat distribution in the XY-plane by using anXY-scanner and measuring another heat distribution in the Z-direction byusing an Z-scanner